ITU Students Became “Innovation Fellows”

ITU students successfully completed the program conducted globally by Stanford University Hasso Plattner Institute of Design and became “Innovation Fellows “.

Istanbul Technical University (ITU) continues to achieve new successes in student entrepreneurship and innovation within the scope of active learning with its students every day with the aim of transforming the future in its 250th year. Four ITU students were named Innovation Fellows at the end of the 6-week online “Fire Up Changemakers Certificate Program” organized by Stanford University Hasso Plattner Institute of Design, also known as “d. school”, to ensure that all students gain the attitudes, skills and knowledge required to navigate a complex world and build the future. 

The Innovation Fellows 2022 team consists of our students in the second year of undergraduate programs at ITU. Nurefşan Cebeci from ITU Industrial Engineering Department, Ömer Tarık İnce from Environmental Engineering, Başak Bozkır from Management Engineering and Seren Sıla Uysal from Electronics and Communication Engineering have successfully completed the University Innovation Fellows program. ITU Innovation Fellows 2022 team achieved success under the guidance of ITU GINOVA deputy director, Res. Asst. Dr. Zeynep Erden Bayazıt, who acted as a mentor called “Faculty Champion”. 

Our students were eligible to participate in the program after a selection process following their application. Members of the ITU Innovation Fellows 2022 team, together with the faculty champion, will carry out projects for 2 years on ITU campuses as “changemakers”. Within the scope of these projects, ITU Innovation Fellows will open the door to new change strategies with the opportunity to collaborate with fellows from other universities from around the world. 

Fire Up Changemakers Certificate Program, launched by Stanford University d.school in 2012 for training students to be changemakers, accepted 242 students from 63 higher education institutions around the world this year. The program aims to train student leaders who can shape the future by guiding university students and communities in times of increased uncertainty, such as the global pandemic. 

As changemakers, student leaders will work to create opportunities to help their peers build the creative confidence, agency, and entrepreneurial mindset needed to address global challenges. They will analyze the campus ecosystem to understand the needs of their peers, as well as the perspectives of academics and university administration. Innovation fellows will spread the innovation culture with the events they will organize. Student leaders, who carry out their projects as changemakers within the scope of the program, aim to convey the necessary knowledge and skills to all students to compete in the economy of the future. 

Click for information about the inclusive units and programs in the Fire Up Changemakers Certificate Program at ITU, university-industry cooperation activities, contributions to regional and local economic development, workshops, summits and competitions organized for innovation and entrepreneurship. 

Click for detailed information about the projects of ITU Innovation Fellows 2022 team members. 

To follow the activities of ITU innovation fellows, you can check their Youtube and Instagram pages and contact them via the e-mail address ituuif@itu.edu.tr